Serpent Ancestor

”Why are you here?” Xu Hei asked, puzzled.

The guard was none other than the False Core cultivator, Liu Buqun.

How did such an utterly mediocre person join the Immortal Pavilion as a guard? And how long had he been lurking here unnoticed?

His concealment technique was so effective that even Xu Hei almost failed to detect him.

”Senior, it’s like this...”

Liu Buqun forced a bitter smile and recounted everything in detail, from their departure from Snake Village to their arrival on the island, leaving nothing out.

After listening, Xu Hei suddenly understood. It was Tianji Shangren who had brought them here.

Tianji Shangren never granted favors without reason; he must have some ulterior motive. But Xu Hei had no interest in getting involved.

His encounter with the Wang siblings was merely by chance. Saving Wang Qin today was just a matter of convenience. Ye Lu and his companion were after him, and Wang Qin was merely an innocent caught in the crossfire.

The rest would be left to fate; he would not interfere.Xu Hei returned to his cave dwelling and brought out the unconscious Wang Qin.

”Since you’re together, I’ll leave her to you. Farewell!”

Xu Hei placed Wang Qin on the ground, and with a flash, he soared into the sky, disappearing beyond the horizon.

He didn’t know what Liu Buqun was plotting. This man was ruthless and not to be trusted, but it was none of his business. He couldn’t keep Wang Qin by his side to protect her at all times; leaving her with someone else was the best option.

Wang Qin had a life-saving jade talisman left by him, which could be activated once, along with a watermelon to improve her constitution. That was the extent of what Xu Hei could do.

Liu Buqun stood motionless until Xu Hei completely vanished, then he let out a long sigh of relief.

Back then, he could still contend with Xu Hei, and even if he couldn’t win, he could escape. But now, he didn’t even have the chance to flee.

Xu Hei had reached mid-stage Core Formation and could kill Ye Lu across realms, ranking in the top ten of the bounty list.

Meanwhile, Liu Buqun was still stuck at the False Core Stage, stagnant.

Most cultivators’ lives were like this—mediocre, stuck at a certain realm, becoming nameless guards or passersby, forgotten after death.

Liu Buqun collected his thoughts, put on his helmet to conceal his face, and once again became an unremarkable guard.

He picked up Wang Qin and headed towards the Immortal Pavilion.

…………

Xu Hei flew at full speed, quickly leaving the back mountain of the Immortal Pavilion.

As soon as he arrived outside, he saw many cultivators rushing in one direction—towards the western bay.

Along the way, people were chattering excitedly about the Whale Hunting Gang being attacked and sea beasts assaulting the city.

”Oh? Such a fortunate event?” Xu Hei’s eyes flickered, and he immediately headed for the western bay.

Before long, more and more people gathered outside the Whale Hunting Gang’s territory, all rogue cultivators waiting to pick up scraps.

Xu Hei arrived at a lighthouse, its height perfect for him to see the distant scene clearly.

In the bay ahead, a storm raged, lightning flashed, and thunder roared. The sea was littered with shipwrecks and body parts.

Some bold rogue cultivators took the opportunity to dive into the sea, scavenging for bodies and treasures, or sneaking into some dilapidated docks to find anything useful.

The Whale Hunting Gang’s territory was in ruins, with over a dozen docks utterly destroyed.

”Fellow Daoist, what happened here? Could you tell me?” Xu Hei approached an old fisherman and handed him ten Spirit Stones.

The old man, wearing a raincoat and a bamboo hat, holding a fishing rod, seemed to have been fishing for a long time.

He glanced at Xu Hei, accepted the Spirit Stones, and a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes. He smiled and said, ”Heh, the Whale Hunting Gang provoked a bunch of lunatics. The docks were completely dismantled, and those lunatics ran off.”

”Lunatics...” Xu Hei frowned.

”The Sea Serpent Clan, Dolphin Clan, and a group of killer whales joined forces to ambush the Whale Hunting Gang, killing and destroying everything before fleeing. The core members of the Whale Hunting Gang chased after them. That’s all there is to it!” The old man chuckled.

Xu Hei glanced at the scene ahead, roughly guessing the situation, and cupped his hands in thanks. ”Thank you for the information.”

With that, Xu Hei leaped into the sea, joining the treasure-hunting crowd.

The old man watched Xu Hei, shook his head, and paid no further attention.

At this moment, more and more cultivators were searching for treasures in the bay. Besides the rogue cultivators, even members of the eight major forces joined in.

The Whale Hunting Gang’s ships, docks, and the bodies of dead cultivators were all up for grabs, with plenty of valuable items.

Especially for low-level cultivators, picking up a bit of trash could sustain them for years. If they got lucky and found a Core Formation cultivator’s storage bag, they’d strike it rich.

The sea beasts came and went quickly, leaving the bodies and treasures untouched.

After diving into the sea, Xu Hei withdrew his disguise, revealing his true form. He spread his Divine Sense and began treasure hunting.

Compared to others, Xu Hei’s greatest advantage was his extensive Divine Sense range, allowing him to easily locate Core Formation cultivators’ storage bags.

Of course, his main goal was to satisfy Ji Ying’s appetite.

”Whoosh!”

Ji Ying flew out, devouring the head of a corpse instantly before pouncing on the next one.

There were plenty of bodies here, not just from the Whale Hunting Gang but also some rogue cultivators who killed each other over treasures.

Ji Ying wouldn’t spare any corpse, moving swiftly and leaving headless bodies in her wake.

Ji Ying now had some intelligence and avoided living people, only consuming corpses to avoid trouble.

Xu Hei entered a dilapidated dock, only to find it had already been looted.

Looking around, apart from the yet-to-be-breached Dock One, only Docks Two and Three still had people fighting over them.

Xu Hei’s eyes flickered, and he swam towards Dock Two.

At this moment, inside Dock Two.

”Hand over your storage bags! I am Xie Yunfei, an elder of the Whale Hunting Gang. Everything obtained here belongs to the Whale Hunting Gang. Otherwise, you’ll be killed without mercy!”

Xie Yunfei blocked the entrance to a warehouse, glaring coldly at the group of cultivators fighting inside.

Inside the warehouse, everyone exchanged glances.

The Whale Hunting Gang’s high-ranking members had all chased after the attackers, even an Ancestor in seclusion had gone out. Who would have thought there was still an elder here?

”Xie Yunfei, you’re just a guest elder. Why pretend? Why not join us, loot these docks, leave the Whale Hunting Gang, and enjoy freedom alone? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” an old man with white hair laughed.

”Boom!!”

Without a word, Xie Yunfei struck with a palm, sending a massive hand of true essence crashing down. The old man’s face changed dramatically, and just as he was about to retreat, a steel bead shot like lightning into his skull.

The old man fell to the ground, dead with his eyes wide open.

The others’ faces changed drastically, and they dared not hesitate any longer, quickly placing their treasures on the ground, ready to leave.

”Don’t forget your storage bags!” Xie Yunfei sneered.

”Xie Yunfei, don’t push it. Everything we got from the Whale Hunting Gang is here, and you still want more...”

One person shouted angrily, but before he could finish, a bloody hole appeared in his forehead, and he fell to the ground, dead.

Everyone was struck with fear, their faces pale.